Portugal - Industry

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In spite of not having a national car manufacturer, the Portuguese automotive cluster has attracted OEMs as well as supplies and component firms. Leading industry players such as Volkswagen (VW) and Opel, and all the numerous suppliers and component firms such as Visteon, Delphi Automotive systems, Robert Bosch, Faurecia, Lear and Johnson Controls are present in Portugal.

In July 2009, Renault-Nissan built upon its commitment to Portugal by announcing that it would build a new €250 million (US$ 355 million) plant in the city of Aveiro to produce 60,000 lithium-ion batteries a year for electric cars.

The automotive sector is forward-looking and benefits from several important ongoing R&D initiatives and support programs. The Centre for Excellence and Innovation in the Auto Industry (CEIIA) is a driving force behind the electrification of the auto industry in Portugal, while also playing a defining role in the engineering development and design of the charging stations being installed. An industrial electric mobility cluster is currently well underway involving some of the major companies in Portugal developing products and solutions around electric mobility.

Developed via the MOBI.CAR program, Portugal's 100% electric Mobicar is expected to roll out in 2012. With a range on a single charge of 120 km (74 miles) and a top speed of 100 kmph (62 mph), the three-seater compact vehicle is being developed at the CEIIA in Porto, in collaboration with Spain's CTAG, among other entities, companies, and universities.